Campus Colleagues,
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Music James “Jim” Earl Baker.
Jim joined the teaching faculty at Mary Washington in 1965, advancing to full professor, department chair, and symphony conductor. He was the founder of the College Community Symphony in 1971 which exists today as the UMW Philharmonic Orchestra. He also established the Friends of the Orchestra to buy instruments, music and fund Mary Washington student scholarships, which continue to this day. A highlight of his tenure was a performance of the Mary Washington College Community-Symphony at Carnegie Hall in New York City, along with decades of inspiring students, colleagues, and concert-goers until his retirement in 2002.
As summarized in his obituary, students appreciated his practical approach and belief that music should be heard. He transcended instrumental and voice performance to include Mary Washington’s first electronic music program. An accomplished musician himself, Jim and his wife Joan, a vocalist, took their talents to Europe for many performances. He also studied with the National Symphony and several well-known conductors. As a teacher, he is noted for bringing musical performance to the public.
A Remembrance for family, friends, colleagues and students will be held at Mullins and Thompson Funeral Home at 1621 Emancipation Highway, Fredericksburg, VA, on Sunday, December 3, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Memorial contributions are encouraged for the James E. Baker College-Community Orchestra Scholarships Fund at the University of Mary Washington at the following link. http://alumni.umw.edu/bakerscholarships.
To read more, see the full obituary at https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/fredericksburg-va/james-baker-11530032.
Tim
Timothy M. O’DonnellProvostUniversity of Mary Washington